The Houston Super Bowl Host Committee today unveiled FutureFlight as its “WOW” Factor for the 2017 Super Bowl LIVE fan festival. Featuring an out-of-this world virtual reality experience and numerous hands-on space exhibits, Future Flight will share with the public the incredible journey to Mars and beyond. The unveiling took place at the 2016 Space Commerce Conference and Exposition (SpaceCom).

“The Host Committee has declared Super Bowl LI as the Super Bowl of the future in the City of the Future,” said Sallie Sargent, president and CEO of the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee. “Nothing says future more than deep space travel. The Host Committee is thrilled to partner with NASA and the leading space industry companies to create the Future Flight Experience for people to enjoy during Super Bowl LIVE.”

Future Flight’s key component is a virtual reality ride that takes guests on an excursion through space to the Red Planet and back, using actual footage from Mars. Guests don virtual reality goggles for the 2-minute, 10-second ride. It concludes with a 90-foot drop that transports the rider visually from Mars back to Earth, landing on the 50-yard-line of NRG Stadium, just in time for kickoff of Super Bowl LI. For guests who prefer not to experience the 90-foot drop, there will be a special presentation area outside of the attraction to experience the virtual reality portion of Future Flight.

NASA, leading aerospace companies – Aerojet Rocketdyne, The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Orbital ATK and Raytheon Company – and the Coalition for Deep Space Exploration – are working together to share the exciting story of America’s current efforts in the development of new rockets, engines, crew capsules, astronaut training programs and deep space science that will reveal valuable discoveries and transport humans to other planets.

As a result of this collaboration, Super Bowl LIVE will host a one-of-a-kind, interactive experience for all visitors to enjoy.

“The space industry is one of Houston’s vital sectors, featuring some of the country’s brightest professionals in science and engineering,” said Dr. Ellen Ochoa, director of the NASA Johnson Space Center. “This ‘WOW’ Factor allows the public to experience a journey through space that is normally only experienced by select individuals. We are excited to work alongside the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee and our industry partners to showcase some of the best that Houston has to offer.”

Future Flight will be open to the public from Jan. 28, 2017 through Feb. 5, 2017. It will be located at Super Bowl LIVE, the 10-day fan festival held the week of Super Bowl LI. The free event will be held in and around Discovery Green in downtown Houston, and will feature music, games and attractions.

For more information, please visit www.housuperbowl.com or follow the Host Committee on Twitter @HouSuperBowl.

Gerald has spent 20 years in the entertainment industry, either producing, marketing or directing content for the web, film and television. The driving force behind Binwalla Radio also uses his free time away from the office to watch way too many movies, play a plethora of video games and make newbies cry